What If Lennon Had Never Left?

It's staggering to think that John Winston Lennon would have turned 70 tomorrow. His musical and social contributions to our World were obviously among the most significant of the last century. Forever he will be in our hearts, inspiring us to realize the precious value and universal impact of music in the quest for a better World. So what would have been his continuing impact on culture and social challenges had he not have been taken from us on that New York Autumn day?

You have to think that John's integrity and strong beliefs would have made him a prominent figure of change and creativity to this day. Even though he lived some of his New York period as a recluse, it was clear by 1980 that this was changing. I don't know if he would ever have written another "Imagine", but he would most certainly have continued writing, and most likely collaborated with his sons as well as Yoko.

Would a Beatles reunion have happened? I sincerely doubt it. But I suspect that John, Paul and Ringo would at least be on speaking terms, much the same way that Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour have recently started to converse, while not reforming Pink Floyd. Would John have made the odd appearance with Paul? Quite possibly if there was a good enough reason, but this wouldn't have been money. After the Floyd reunion at Live Eight (which I was lucky enough to see), Roger Waters was asked what it was like to play with Gilmour again after such a stormy period. "It's like sleeping with your ex-wife" he answered. I can't help thinking that John would have responded in a similar way, perhaps with even a little more wryness, in regard to playing with his former bandmates. Maybe he would have played at Live Aid or Live Eight with Macca, but I somehow doubt it.

I think that he would have taken a similar path to another of my absolute heroes, Peter Gabriel. Peter's creativity goes from strength to strength. He is bold in his writing and embraces new music and technology like no other. But his social impact on our World has also been profound. He knows how to use his influence for the good of the Planet. Just go to www.witness.org or www.theelders.org to see what I mean. It's my bet that John would have done the same; kept on creating music of the moment, but spending a greater volume of time helping mankind and the environment, probably in a low-key way, much like Gabriel.
Lennon was about connecting with people, musically and as fellow humans.

There have been far too many wars since his passing, along with tragic environmental disasters as we tip the environmental balance of our own planet. Would he have sat by? No way. He may not have been leading street protests, but I think he would be encouraging them by bringing people together. And just how would he have dealt with George Bush? You think he would have sat back?

In the music space, what would he have thought about file sharing / music piracy (depending on which side of the fence you sit)? I can't see him standing in court next to Lars Ulrich and pals. But he would have made a case for more access to music for more people, supported new artists of all kinds in the age of MySpace and have probably given the major labels a bashing for their defensive strategies to music democratization.

And finally, imagine him here now in the age of social media. Brittney Spears has a staggering 6,082,964 followers on Twitter.So just imagine how many John would have had. His dream was to unite the World as one. If he had had access to today's tools like Facebook and Twitter, he may just have been able to realize his dream.

We will always miss him and I for one wish he was here with us today.

Calling All Musicians - 5 Offline Ways To Get On The Path To Success

I'm getting fed up with the doom and gloom around music. There's never been a better time to be a musician. The demand exists, the talent is there, and the distribution channels are wide open. And for those with a little extra creative flair, the path to success is waiting.

Today you're the marketer as well as the muso - your fate is in your hands, or more positively speaking, your success is at your fingertips.

People want new music. Yes, to an extent we do live in the age of disposability, but that also means that gaps are constantly appearing which need to be filled. Like any marketer, the musician needs to think about when and where he or she can step in. It's still all about being in the right place at the right time, just a different place and time.

We all know that the web offers a multitude of ways to expose new music and build a following. However, just as important is offline grass roots marketing. By leveraging social trends in the offline world, you can support online tactics and build yourself as a unique brand as well as a great musician or songwriter.

5 Offline Ways To Get On The Path To Success

1. Perform, perform, perform
And, don't just see yourself as a musician who plays live. Work hard to become a known performer, and personality in your neighborhood. A local following is still one of the best ways to build your fanbase, and to hone your chops. Yes, certain websites and social networks are great exposure vehicles, but while they can showcase your performance live from the bedroom, they are not always the best tools to present your personality. Don't forget, your purpose is to entertain, not just to play.

2. Don't worry about the quality of your demo
Just have one. You no longer need a high quality recording (even though a bunch of my producer pals are no doubt in total disagreement). It helps, sure, but don't worry. Just have something and you'll find that venue operators are usually very forgiving. They aren't looking for production quality. They're looking for talent to meet their ends - fill a bar, get folks to dance and drink more, give them credibility or reach a new crowd. It's about them as much as it's about you. So just do it.

3. Tie yourself to a cause 

Find something you're passionate about, and reach out on a local or regional level to contribute your talent. Choose something which fits your "personal brand" and helps to communicate your creative approach and values. One place to start could be to take a look at the Glue Network www.thegluenetwork.com/.This is a non-profit based in San Diego which inspires and exposes great causes, brands and individuals by collaborating with grass roots musicians, artists and designers. 

4. Become part of a heroic local brand
It's not about selling out. It's about exposure, positive associations, and being able to avoid starvation. Even if there's no money involved, think about how you can leverage your creativity in return for riding someone else's brand reputation or philosophy. It could be as simple as working with a local independent fashion designer to build your awareness and credibility. Take a look at Threadshow.com if you want to get a feel for this particular community, or visit one of Thread's shows and introduce yourself to the designers you like the best.

5. Go truly grass roots

There's a huge swell in open mic nights sweeping across the country. Just check out openmikes.org/ It lists open mics nationwide. And it makes sense - people want to go out, need to socialize and want to hear new music without paying cover charges or inflated ticket prices. In many parts of the U.S, they also want to play a part in kick-starting local musicians' careers and to celebrate local flavor. It worked for Bob Dylan and coffee houses. 

For the musician, the benefits are multiple. You'll get exposed, inspired, collaborate,  find backing musicians, gain valuable in-person feedback, and remain humble while building confidence through being overshadowed one week and showered with praise the next. There's nothing like it, and yet it hardly ever gets mentioned. (Watch out for a full blogpost dedicated to open mics very soon). 

Why Mystery Matters In Music

The web has changed the way that music is created, promoted, shared, purchased and consumed. In fact, there's virtually no aspect of the creative or commercial music process that has not been transformed in the last 15 years.
When I was a young rocker buying my beautiful vinyl at The Spinning Disc in Sunderland in the wet UK, the lure of some Roger Dean or Hipgnosis artwork, a mention in "Sounds" magazine and the recommendation of a drugged out sales guy was more than enough for me to dip into my "milk round money".

We had three weekly music papers - The NME, Melody Maker and Sounds - to keep us up to date with what was happening. News was reported as a serious aspect rather than as the contrived marketing ploys of today. Live reviews went into detail about the atmosphere, the crowd, the lights and the songs. And the bulk of the content was interviews - not so much about the lives of the musicians, but about the songs' meanings, inspirations and homages. Songs were taken seriously, and we wanted to know why, how, where and when they were written and what was going through the head of the artist at the time (in addition to the Red Leb).
The point is that there was a huge sense of mystery surrounding artists and their craft. Whether it was Jimmy Page's fascination with Alistair Crowley, Rush's Ayn Rand inspirations or Peter Gabriel's Albion meets abstract lyrics, the fog of mystery was created naturally and genuinely, and it made us sit intently in front of the speakers to try to unravel the work of our heroes.

Today, we are at the exact opposite point. Everything a musician, label or manager can think of exposing is exposed in an effort to have that all-important "dialogue" with the fan. It's a relationship goldrush that every act is now expected to be part of. There have always been obsessive fans who want it all, and always will be. But in this age of music industry freefall, we are adding fuel to the fire, as even the diehards have to question the frequency and value of the communication from their idols. Let's face it, I wanted to know about Jimmy's interest in black magic, but didn't want to know whether he'd had sprouts for lunch. Not only because it meant little (even though I love sprouts), but because it actively destroyed the myth of him being a mysterious being from a higher plain.

Too much inane "dialogue" only makes the fan tire of the artist at a quicker rate. And so we see artist's commercial lifetime come to an end much faster than in the pre-web days. Often after just one "lead track" (we can't say "single" these days). And they don't realize that they are doing it to themselves. Sure, Twittering from the tour bus is cool, but it's also of no value if it's total drivel and destroys the allure of the act.
Social media has effectively taken the place of the NME and Sounds, but there needs to be a quality level attached just as there was back in the day. This has to come from the artists. Let's help them to rebuild the level of integrity, artistry and mystery around music's future heroes. Only through doing this can legends be created whose level of intrigue and talent will enable their music to be sold for decades, rather than days.

The Who at The Superbowl - The Verdict

I wasn't quite sure about The 'orrible 'Oo playing the half time show. It wasn't the commercial "sell out" aspect - Pete's been at that longer than most. It was whether they could out-perform some of the quality performances of the past few years, especially Petty, Macca and The Boss.

I was also a bit concerned about the possibility that The Who's set may be purely geared to promote the CSI franchise, which we saw heavily featured during the commercial breaks in the first half of the game. Of course, I wouldn't really have minded too much if all we got were the three CSI title tunes - Who Are You, Baba O Riley and Wont Get Fooled Again, but I really was hoping for something more. So when the amazing lightshow began to the strum of Pinball Wizard's classic intro, I started to relax. Pinball Wizard, Baba O Riley, Who Are You, See Me Feel Me and Won't Get Fooled Again made up a very nice 12 minute slice of 'oO, See Me Feel Me being the surprise for me.

Here's one reason that I thought they handled the half time show well versus some of the past performers - the medley. To my mind, rock medleys don't often work. For a hiphop act, it's an easy concept but it isn't something that feels natural for most rock bands. If it's a covers band (like The Stoats or Patchwork Orange for instance), that's fine, but a classic band performing medleys of their own songs just doesn't feel right. Right?

But The Who are different. They have always been able to handle the medley format brilliantly. The Superbowl show reminded me of their performance of "A Quick One" on the Rolling Stones' 1968 Rock and Roll Circus - 5 or 6 short songs sandwiched together into one mini opera. That's why it worked - unlike Petty or the Boss, The Who virtually originated the rock medley concept and have recorded and played medleys many times over their careers. Even their last studio album, "Wire and Glass", contains a mini-opera concept that they pared down and played live on the 2006 tour.

So in short, I believe that The Who triumphed through their ability to manage the situation, rather than allowing the size of the event manage them (as I think happened to Aerosmith in 2001). It is a fact that Roger had a couple of less than stellar moments here and there, and Pete seemed to have a little amp trouble. But these kind of gremlins make The Who what it is, and separated the band's performance from the overly-choreographed Stones show of 2006 and the contrived 2001 Aerosmith "and friends" appearance. The Who is still a real band and they don't always hit every note or chord perfectly. And this isn't a bad thing. They are not wrapped in cotton wool by their management or by a label head or A&R guy. They are the real deal, and I hope, a huge inspiration to young bands all over the Globe. After 46 years, they still play, look and perform with an attitude, and as they proved yesterday, they are still capable of winning over the crowd, whether in a West London church hall, or at Miami's Sun Life Stadium.

And then there were those cymbals! I'm off to spray paint mine now!.....

Long Live Rock
Long Live The Who

We Need a Punk-like Music Movement Now!

I'm sitting here listening to a great song I haven't heard in years, that will be very familiar to my fellow Brits, but isn't that well known in the U.S. - The Tom Robinson Band's "Sing If You're Glad To Be Gay". At the time it was associated with the punk movement, which, far from the anarchic image it has in the US, had a very significant moral and social impact through it's minstrels. This is one of those songs that was groundbreaking, and a rallying call for equality in Thatcher's fascist Britain of the the late 70's. If you don't know it, check it out. It's a perfect song - melody, killer/catchy/incisive lyrics, and a real message at it's heart, which, whether you were gay or not, made you want to line up behind Tom and drive change. In short, it was the music that led us to the message.

I was lucky enough to be 14 in 1978. It was a very tough time for Britain with mass unemployment, polarized political parties, and a very frustrated youth which, prompted by boredom and poverty, reacted through the musical revolution we called punk.
And not only punk. Too often, it's forgotten that other genres of music emerged and contributed to change by giving a voice, or an outlet, to Britain's youth.
 West London and the Midlands spawned a new variety of reggae, combining Jamaican music with anti-racist lyrics and inspiring UK-centric libertarian views. Just check out Steel Pulse's Handsworth Revolution.
And then there was the change in what we now call classic rock. The media have often portrayed rock as dying in a velociraptor-like way at the feet of punk. It's just not true. Sure the guys who were seen as overblown (like the mighty Zep) and those who were associated with over-indulgence (like the prog bands I grew up on- Yes, ELP, Crimson), faced a crisis. But (temporarily) they gave way to the new Brit heavy metal of Judas Priest and Motorhead, who ushered in a more aggressive, harder phase for the genre, which to me, was totally in line with the punk movement.

Everywhere you looked, kids used music to shake off their frustrations and in many cases, to make a needed point, whether it be about sex, race, the Government or the system in general. And it was good.

Those bands and fans didn't have the web, social media, blogs and communities. In fact they hardly had anything. No cell-phones, no SMS, no home computers. There were three weekly music papers in the UK which reported everything, one gay magazine (which was viewed as being obscene), and virtually no media channels for messages of racial equality. Plus, the mainstream media either trivialized these bands, or literally banned their output (the BBC actually banned all radio and TV plays of the Pistols' God Save The Queen, which of course  immediately sent it to number one in the charts). And further media ignorance just added fuel to the fires, which by that time were literally burning in the streets of Bristol, Birmingham and London. "London's Burning" cried the Clash, and indeed parts of it were, sparked largely by the messages contained in the music.

Check out the video below. The Anti-Nazi League was formed in 1977 and was active through the early 80's. It was a response to the growth of Nazis and white supremecy which had formed as an aggressive fascist protest against groups of immigrants coming into the UK in the 60's and 70's (mostly from British Commonwealth countries). The ANL was supported by many bands including The Clash, The Ruts, Gang Of Four, The Members, TRB and Pete Townshend.



So my point here is, that with all of the tools sitting before today's youth, like the web, divergent media, the ability to express oneself and gather support at the drop of a click, where is music's place in change? The youth movement was a huge part of Obama's election victory, and The Boss (love him, but hardly a young guy) and a few other souls gave their all. But where is it now? Where are the bands singing about the need to support change whether it be education, healthcare, the wars or the environment? Where are the kids who should be lining up to drive change, just like those who were inspired by Tom Robinson or Steel Pulse? Where is the protest and who is the voice? Where is the musical inspiration?

And how can we, who've been through it, help them to use today's music as their sword of change?

The Grammy's - Do They Matter?

No.
Well, that's the instant thought. But is that really the case? I'm not so sure. They've had their day in their current format, but could they be transformed?

The UK's Barclay's Mercury Music Prize has the right idea. We in the US need to take note. Perhaps the Grammy's should focus on music development? Well there aren't too many other vehicles left.  How about if every presenter needs to have sold more than ten million tracks, ensuring that they were the hook for advertisers? Each presenter then introduces an act with genuine potential that has sold less than 500,000 tracks. They play two songs together, one from the new act and one from the established. Perhaps even with a nice link between the two?
Grammy Nominee Rob H with fellow Stoat, Vince 

Also, the Grammy's is out of step as the judging panel is faceless. I know a bunch of them, and while quite nice, most are over 40, and not always qualified to vote on every category. So perhaps it could be broken into genre with relevant judges, critics, bloggers and artists responsible for choosing each award?
While I really quite like her entertainment factor and ballsy attitude, I just don't trust Lady Gaga to vote for Judas Priest's Dissident Aggressor (no kidding, the 1970's classic is up for best live hard rock performance this year!!!!!).
Wouldn't it be interesting if the process of the judges making their decisions could be webcast or televised leading up to the event. Perfect for Twitter too.
And then when it comes to the event, the main genre judges are televised at appropriate points in the show, or even better simultaneously on the web, explaining how they had come to their decisions - something we never get to hear about! If done right, this could attract not only music afficianado viewers, but also the Idol audience. 

Social media will undoubtedly be shoe-horned into tonight's performances, but how about if the acts were given a budget to enable them to magnify their own outreach, and a brief to cross as many genre boundaries in the most creative ways? Surely this would be interesting to today's audience - a combination of credible creative marketing as well as good music. And it would certainly make the whole event much more credible. Perhaps it would also encourage more sponsorship which could be tied directly to acts rather than the show?It could mean that the event could be less glitzy and less contrived to attract advertisers. Not a bad thing.

And finally, in the light of these thoughts, the big question....did "the Tull" deserve the heavy metal Grammy a few years back? - Absolutely! Perhaps Hawkwind or Gentle Giant will win tonight. Good luck lads!

The (Mighty) 'Wind live 1972



Judas Priest Fans - Heavy Metal Parking Lot 1986

The Future Of Music

Yesterday, the Department of Justice approved the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The result could be a huge boost for music folks like us, or it could be a threat to our love and passion.
Whatever happens, this is probably the biggest thing to happen in music since file sharing appeared, and it will change the landscape.
On the plus side, the new company, Live Nation Entertainment will tie artist management together with touring and merchandising, digital marketing, content development and more, which can't be a bad thing for an artist (unless you are one of The Stoat's label pals that is).
The downsides are several. First, as a consumer marketer, I think it will be tough for the new entity to switch from a business focus to a consumer focus. The labels actively helped the
demise of retail, and for many moons believed that they could create a direct and emotional link with music buyers, but this has not been truly realized. This merger will have the same challenges, and today more than ever, consumers are wary of giant companies. One way for LNE to avoid this would be to structure itself around the consumer rather than around the artist, looking at the needs of the buyer and using its assets accordingly. But this will be culturally challenging, costly, and take time.
In addition, new music across all genres is the lifeblood of the industry and vital to consumers. But in a company of this size, how will attention be given to acts? As the industry has spiralled downwards and sadly labels have let most of their creative talent go and absorbed their indie wings, they have had to wrestle with the same problems. Why will it be different at LNE?
The message to LNE is to stop thinking about the beauty of a vertically integrated company and its attractiveness to shareholders. Guys- start WITH the artist and the consumer in mind and work backwards. Let's put the developing talent and the fan first once again.

The Stoat's Top 10 Albums Of 2009

A little late in coming, but here's The Stoat's pics from 2009

10. Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night
Nothing World-shattering about it. Just a great contemporary country record that represents what the genre is really about today. One of the few I bought on day of release
9. U2 - No Line On The Horizon
I didn't like it for months, and then it clicked. You've got to give Bono and the chaps credit for carrying the flame for the rock genre and being to important to so many. Carry on lads
8. The Dead Weather - Horehound
With Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Jack White reignites his darker side very nicely
7. The Answer - Everyday Demons
I love this band. Everyone who grew up on Zep and The Oo needs to have The Answer in their lives. The UK loves them. The US needs them.
6. Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun
Young, fresh, contemporary Americana with a raw bite. A wonderful record that makes you want to be part of the jam at Ryan's house on a Friday night
5. Black Crowes - Before the Frost...Until The Freeze
A real comeback record, in terms of its mature writing and heartfelt performance
4. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
Another great record demonstrating a position of maturity yet maintaining a very wide appeal
3. Porcupine Tree - The Incident
This record is mesmerizing. To me it's Pink Floyd's Animals (my fave Floyd record) meets Tool, and a fine example of today's ever-ascending prog genre
2. Tom Petty
Petty can never do wrong in my book. I have always loved him and relate many different periods of my life to his songs. That's why this fabulous live retrospective is unmissable in my book.
1. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
It's taken me years to really "get" PJ. But this record has it all - aggressive 2 minute ditties through to absolutely wonderful acoustic ballads to which 40 year olds can truly relate.

Porcupine Tree's wonderful "Time Flies" 

Folks Over 50 only Buy Susan Boyle Records

I'm fed up with the media's generalizations about who consumes what music. Does it matter you ask? Well, yes it does, because music is a cultural gauge of society, and despite it's significant sales decreases, it guides many  other less sexy business categories in how they develop and market their products.

Over the past five or six years, we have repeatedly read how artists such as Michael Buble have "saved" the music industry and enabled the 50 plus market to regain it's interest in music. Of course this year, this has become a constant press story through the phenomenon we know as Susan Boyle.
Now I have nothing bad to say about Miss Boyle. Her meteoric rise has proven that a staggering 3 million records can still be sold in 6 weeks! Good for her. What I do have an issue with is how everyone over 50 is labeled as knowing nothing about music and effectively waits for a SuBo-like release before they can show their sheep-like heads in the music aisle at Best Buy.
Los Angeles and New York have young populations hip to all things hip. But in more earthy cities such as Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, and especially in creative rural areas like Sonoma County, there exists a different kind of hipness. There, mature music fans truly scour for what's happening out there and support a much broader range of credible music to a much greater extent than younger, fickle urban audiences. And, shockingly, they use a combination of new and traditional media, especially radio.
Take a niche radio station like Healdsburg's The Krush. This small station knows how to pleasantly inform the 50 plus market to stay totally relevant by supporting acts that would attract a smaller audience that would be twenty years younger in L.A. or New York.

Last night the Krush sponsored Chuck Prophet at Petaluma's Mystic Theater. It was a sell-out and the average age was about 55, with older folks well into their 60's. Not all vinyl-obsessed guys either, couples for the most part who sang along with every word. Last year I saw 500 people pack into a small rural community center for Todd Snyder, also driven by the Krush. These musically-active folks listen out for new music, share it between themselves and interact with the artists on the web. And they're not restricted to the highly creative Sonoma region. They are in many parts of our country. They are an important, but little recognized part of the backbone that keeps many acts alive, yet they are certainly not in the label's "15-35 sweet spot".
So let's not absorb the media's generalizations. Let's recognize this group's importance and spread the word. With more label attention and less media generalization the industry has a rare opportunity to recognize the mature audience's vital place in bringing high quality, new music to the fore.
 Chuck's Video for the way-too-catchy Freckle Song

John Picciuto - California's Own John Entwistle

As far as really good bass players go, they aren't that easy to find. All too many folks pick up the bass at a young age, thinking that it will be easier to play versus that 6 string devil of an instrument, the guitar.
On January 3rd 2010, the world lost one of the great bass players and probably the nicest musician who ever trod the boards, John Picciuto.
John was born in 1952 in New Jersey, where as a teenager, he started mastering the bass in the styles of The Who's John Entwistle, Cream's Jack Bruce and Paul McCartney. He saw many shows in New York including The Beatles' last tour and the Who's first Stateside performances. Of all of his influences, Entwistle was his primary inspiration, and John soon found himself to be a natural player as his fingers sped up and down the neck of his Fender P's and Rickenbackers.
After playing in New Jersey bands including Trigger, The Monks and the beautifully named William and The Conquerors (it was the late 60's/early 70's after all!), he was approached to join Looking Glass, who had just had a hit with Brandy (You're a Fine Girl). He toured with Looking Glass in the 70's, headlining shows, as well as opening for The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Pretenders and many more. Looking Glass eventually broke up and several of the members went on to form the amazing and underrated guitar rock band, Starz. John decided to take time out from his music and focus on his family and career.
He played periodically through the 80's and 90's, but it was not until 2000, that he reignited his complete passion and focus for performing. By that time his three daughters had grown up and John needed to fill a void in his life.
It was also at that time that John responded to an ad I'd placed in L.A's Recycler. It read "Bass player needed to play Who, Beatles, Zep. Must like classic rock and enjoy a good pint of ale and a chat". Within about 5 hours of the posting John responded and joined The Stoats. He blew the rest of us away with his playing, personality and constant enthusiasm. We played together for 10 years, performing all over California from San Diego to Sonoma. I also had the chance to take John on his only visit to England in 2006, where we saw The Who at the Isle of Wight.
During this time, John had various undiagnosed health issues. By the time it was discovered that he had a rare form of cancer, it was too late to provide treatment.
His friends and bandmates supported him until the very end. I had the honor, along with Vince and Aggy, to sit with him watching The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show DVD, 4 days before his passing. Even then, you could see the passion he had in his eyes for music, and the true friendship and love he provided to his friends and family.
John's memorial will take place on Saturday 16th at the Unitarian Church in Pasadena. He will be missed by many but his energy will continue to radiate and make us all better musicians and nicer people.
John Picciuto - we will always love you.